NASCAR excitement builds One of the words most overused in press conferences during the Charlotte Motor Speedway racing media tour is “excited.”
Without fail that’s the word that drivers and car owners used when intorudci...
Letarte, Earnhardt Jr. get serious
So now we know that crew chief Steve Letarte cracked the whip and made Dale Earnhardt Jr. become more engaged with his race team last season.
But for all the positives that Earnhardt and car owner ...
France delivers his state of the sport address NASCAR officials made no major announcements on Thursday as the Charlotte Motor Speedway media tour wrapped up with a ‘state of the sport” speech by sanctioning body chairman Brian France.
Competit...
Burton stresses his drive remains strong Sounding similar to a disgruntled quarterback, Jeff Burton minced no words making his feelings known Thursday night.
“I’m (ticked) off,” Burton said as he addressed those assembled in the grand mee...
Labonte, JTG look to test the big boys
On his down-the-road wish list, Brad Daugherty hopes the NASCAR Cup team he co-owns with Tad and Jodi Geschickter can expand to two cars as soon as the 2013 season.
In the shorter term, the team th...
Stewart stays in fifth gear Just because he added a third NASCAR championship to his resume, Tony Stewart didn’t feel as if he warranted any extra time off.
Petty crew chief Inman earns Hall nod While playing a key part in the greatest winning streak in the history of NASCAR’s top division, Dale Inman barely had time to soak in what was being accomplished as he served as crew chief on the ...
NASCAR hopes to fix draft NASCAR may get a better idea starting today if it is prescribing the right cure for the tandem drafting that has become for some fans the plague of restrictor-plate racing at Daytona International ...
RPM picks Almirola The job of putting NASCAR’s iconic No. 43 car back in victory lane now rests on the shoulders of a driver who is relatively inexperienced at the Cup level.
Penske, Busch part ways NASCAR Cup team owner Roger Penske gave Kurt Busch the boot on Monday.
Penske released a statement saying that he and Busch had “reached a mutual agreement” that Busch will no longer drive Penske’s...
Time to hand out more NASCAR awards NASCAR rang down its season by handing out all those big checks in Las Vegas this week.
Now that all the official celebrations are over, here are some unofficial awards:
Driver of the year – Tony S...
NASCAR caps weird, wild, competitive 2011 season This is the week that the NASCAR crowd gets all gussied-up.
Putting on tuxedos instead of fire suits and driving uniforms, they head to Las Vegas to formally crown Tony Stewart as Sprint Cup champi...
Stewart gives crew chief credit for resurgence MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- When the Chase for the Championship began, Tony Stewart didn’t look a championship contender, making the playoff field on consistency while not coming close to winning.
Stewart turns frown upside down with Martinsville win An unhappy camper at the beginning, Tony Stewart wound up the happiest at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday.
Carl Edwards was a close second in the jubilation department after he rallied from a lap d...
Martinsville could shake up Chase Putting the unpredictability of Talladega Superspeedway in the rear view mirror isn’t a guarantee that NASCAR’s Cup standings won’t undergo a shakeup this Sunday.
The tour heads to Martinsville Spe...
Rush leaves lasting legacy A half century or so ago, the High Point area could boast of having enough NASCAR stars to have its own race.
Ken Rush, who died of a stroke Monday night, was among the most popular of that rough-a...
Quiet Kenseth roars at CMS On a scale of 1 to 10, Matt Kenseth would most likely be a 1 in a ranking of most outgoing personalities among NASCAR Cup drivers.
He’s that quiet guy in school with the wry sense of humor who was ...
Kenseth races to Chase win at Charlotte In a battle of drivers who made recoveries, Matt Kenseth was just a little better than Kyle Busch when it mattered Saturday night as Jimmie Johnson’s hopes of sixth straight Cup championship took a...
Johnson back in grooove One of the most useless wastes of time around the NASCAR circuit is speculating over whether a driver is already out of the race for the Cup championship even though eight or so races are left, unl...
NASCAR tweaks rules for Talladega NASCAR announced rules changes which could cut down on the amount of time cars stayed hooked up in two-car drafts when the Cup tour makes its fall stop. One of the changes will certainly result in ...
Johnson remains Chase favorite Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch claim they have buried the hatchet and expect to play nice for the remainder of the NASCAR season.
In another way, Johnson stands as the target of 11 drivers, one of t...
Brinkley closes in on Caraway crown Officially, Brad Brinkley isn’t Caraway Speedway’s late model champion for the second time.
Unofficially, Brinkley can go ahead and clear space for another trophy. Outside the unlikelihood of a cou...
NASCAR set for 2012 return to “The Rock” Area racing fans who have been yearning for a NASCAR return to the track now known as Rockingham Speedway are getting there wish on a scaled down version.
Earnhardt signs extension Even though there was not much doubt about what would happen, any questions about Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s future came to an end on Thursday.
Injuries juggle Wake lineup for opener WINSTON-SALEM – One rule to which Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe adheres is that if a player misses time in preseason practice, he could see a move down the depth chart.
Win eases Keselowski's pain Brad Keselowski waited until well after the checkered flag to make a noticeable faux pas on Saturday night.
Overcome by the excitement from winning Bristol Motor Speedway’s night race for the first...
Keselowski posts Bristol win Brad Keselowski was stunned by his accomplishment Saturday night.
Taking the lead with 81 laps to go after getting to the front thanks to pit stops, Keselowski drove away to his first Bristol Motor...
NASCAR suspends driver indefinitely NASCAR indefinitely suspended part-time Truck Series driver Shane Sieg on Monday for violation of its substance abuse policy.
Easy track tough for Johnson With straightaways wide enough for cars to race three-abreast and long sweeping turns, two-mile Michigan International Speedway won’t be confused with narrow Darlington Raceway as one of the NASCAR...
Bowman Gray rainout boosts Myers' title hopes Burt Myers received a boot from Mother Nature in his quest for a fifth Bowman Gray Stadium championship.
The help came in the form of rain that brought cancellation of both 25-lap Modified races. T...
Ragan seeks bubble boost David Ragan sits on the wrong side of NASCAR’s wild-card bubble.
Ragan moved to the right side of the cutoff briefly when he scored his first Cup victory last month at Daytona. But, with the combin...
Miller holds off Myers at Bowman Gray L.W. Miller made it two in a row in NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour action in 2011, and two in a row at Bowman Gray Stadium when he repeated as victor of the Strutmasters.com 199 late Saturday...
Bring back the Pennsylvania 500 I was looking forward to tuning in for this afternoon’s Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa.
I was, that is, until I learned the official name of the race has been changed to the Go...
Bowyer thinks wild-card system contains flaw WELCOME - Clint Bowyer isn’t a big fan right now of the way two wild card drivers might make their way into the Chase for the Championship.
Bowman Gray points battle grows tighter Thanks to a dominating performance by Tim Brown on a “double points” night, Burt Myers no longer enjoys an overwhelming advantage in the battle for the championship in Bowman Gray Stadium’s featur...
Harpe Memorial goes green Wednesday at Caraway Caraway Speedway’s Super Five Series continues Wednesday night with one of its biggest races of the season – the 250-lap Rusty Harpe Memorial late model race.
The event pays tribute to a former rac...
Miller rules again at Caraway Once considered the King of NASCAR Southern Modified drivers at Caraway Speedway, L.W. Miller reclaimed that throne with authority Friday night.
Surviving two overtime restarts and eight extra laps...
Daytona drivers expect to race two-by-two In the two previous restrictor-plate races this season at Daytona and Talladega, cars drafted in pairs of two as if they were getting in position to take a ride on Noah’s Ark.
Drivers say the pheno...
Unapproved parts cost Gibbs teams money, not points Joe Gibbs Racing found out Wednesday that showing up at the race track with unapproved oil pans on all three of its cars last weekend at Michigan wasn’t a violation serious enough to warrant a dedu...
NASCAR Hall voters earn high marks NASCAR’s Hall of Fame voters finally got it right this time.
The 55-person selection committee did its best job Tuesday in determining the third class of five inductees.
Two years ago, they created...
NASCAR Hall meets to make call By winning Sunday at Pocono Raceway, Jeff Gordon added to the resume that will put him in the NASCAR Hall of Fame one day.
Gordon’s selection is still years away. Today in Charlotte, NASCAR’s Hall ...
Brinkley sets pace in Caraway points chase Brad Brinkley of Sanford remains the man being chased in the battle for the championship in Caraway Speedway’s featured Late Model Stock division.
Brinkley lost just two points of his cushion durin...
Moffitt expects wild, crazy Armed Forces 150 at Bowman Gray All the ingredients are present for a wild and woolly race when the NASCAR Pro East Series visits Bowman Gray Stadium for the first time this weekend.
The race will be the flat quarter-mile track’s...
Earnhardt Jr. sees brighter times ahead Trying to look past the disappointment after pushing his car to the garage area, Dale Earnhardt Jr. saw brightness ahead while standing in the darkness late Sunday night.
Earnhardt predicted sunshi...
Harvick takes wild 600 after Earnhardt Jr. runs out of gas Not a factor all night, Kevin Harvick won the Coca-Cola 600 in a two-lap overtime when Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran out of fuel coming off turn four on the last lap on Sunday night.
Earnhardt and Kasey K...
Drivers face 600-mile test Kurt Busch is current proof that the success in NASCAR’s top division can be very fleeting.
Busch left Charlotte Motor Speedway’s two-weekend speedfest a year ago flying high, having become the sev...
Loftin joins Myers atop Bowman Gray standings Burt Myers still has company atop the standings for the featured Modified Division at Bowman Gray Stadium but not the same company as last week.
Brian Loftin moved into a tie by picking four points...
Johnson seeks return to CMS winning ways Not so long ago, Jimmie Johnson had close to a sure thing at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Now, he plays a guessing game as he comes back there for another Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday.
That’s different fro...
Edwards solves CMS mystery Carl Edwards can no longer say he hasn’t run well at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Edwards took care of that Saturday night by whipping the field for a $1 million victory in the All-Star race. Before t...
Edwards captures All-Star race at CMS After turning the deciding laps into some of the most boring in the history of NASCAR’s All-Star race, Carl Edwards created the most excitement.
After finishing three-car lengths ahead of Kyle Busc...
Confident Kahne hits CMS Kasey Kahne is a little disappointed.
Despite driving for a Red Bull team that has gotten just one victory out of its two cars since joining NASCAR’s top division, Kahne believes he already should ...
Martin ready for record to fall Mark Martin is resigned to what he sees as the inevitable with Kyle Busch looming larger and larger in his rearview mirror.
Allmendinger takes fast start in stride Even though Richard Petty Motorsports is more competitive this season, A.J. Allmendinger knows it is too early to be overly excited about climbing toward the top 10 in points.
Yes, things are going...
Myers gets medical clearance, hits track running Having gotten a doctor’s clearance to race, Burt Myers isn’t wasting any time.
Before he begins defense Saturday night of his 2010 Bowman Gray Stadium championship, Myers will compete in Denny Haml...
Labonte sees winning ingredients Bobby Labonte flipped burgers on Wednesday in Greensboro.
Despite a slow start in NASCAR’s top division, Labonte cooked while still enthusiastic about the ingredients he sees in his new team, JTG/D...
Blaney takes positives from Talladega Still disappointed over Sunday, Dave Blaney saw a nugget for the future on Monday.
Taking a advantage of a car that liked to be pushed in the two-car drafts now the norm in restrictor-plate racing,...
Worsham zips to NHRA Top Fuel victory Del Worsham inherited a pretty good race car during the winter.
He proved again Sunday that he has the talent to match.
As part of the Al-Anabi team owned by a Qatar sheikh, Worsham was moved up fr...
Rhodes paves winning path Harrison Rhodes is getting a little unexpected extra time to savor his first Late-Model victory.
The 17-year-old Ledford High School junior was planning to return to Tri-County Speedway this week i...
Rain delays Wilkesboro action Afternoon rain and the threat of severe weather Saturday night forced drivers to wait a day to battle for a $75,000 first prize at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
The 300-lap PASS South Super Late Model...
Wilkesboro set for big race weekend As satisfying as picking up another PASS South victory was for Ryan Blaney last Saturday, it will be hard to compare with winning the tour’s race this weekend.
The series goes to North Wilkesboro S...
Martin, Harvick learn to form winning team Sunday marked Gil Martin’s 100th race as Kevin Harvick’s crew chief at Richard Childress Racing.
“I told Richard that I deserved a medal,” Martin joked after Harvick came from behind to win the Go...
Harvick makes it two straight Kevin Harvick didn’t mind being the “bad guy” on Sunday.
Completing a late charge for the second straight race, Harvick became the villain at Martinsville Speedway for those wanting to see Dale Ear...
Truex, Kahne tangle at Martinsville Even though Martinsville Speedway is the slowest track on the Cup circuit, that doesn’t mean that wicked crashes can’t occur on the little half mile.
That happened just before the halfway mark in S...
Go green: McMurray takes pole The old racing superstition that green cars are bad news didn’t apply to Jamie McMurray, even though he didn’t like the color of his Chevrolet.
Completing two laps around Martinsville Speedway tha...
Sauter bumps Busch, bags Truck victory Johnny Sauter proved Saturday that Kyle Busch can be beaten at the end of a NASCAR Nationwide or Truck Series race.
Sauter bumped past Busch coming off turn two on the next-to-last lap and won the ...
Martinsville qualifying set for today Moving qualifying for Sunday’s Cup race to today is a departure from the past at Martinsville Speedway. which like most tracks previously had Friday qualifying for Sunday races.
Richard Childress R...
Hamlin, Johnson remain men to beat If someone other than Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson wins on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, it won’t be a shocker on the magnitude of Virginia Commonwealth reaching the NCAA men’s Final Four.
I...
Menard looks to make name for himself As one of the most soft-spoken and noncontroversial people in the NASCAR area, Paul Menard is not the type of guy who would be thought of as the target of criticism.
The target is generated by the ...
Southern Modified Tour returns to Caraway Two weeks after opening the season at Caraway Speedway, the NASCAR Southern Modified Tour returns to the Randolph County track for its second event of the season on Saturday night.
George Brunnhoel...
Edwards, Busch recall things differently Carl Edwards clearly remembers, claiming again Sunday that he “owes Kyle Busch” one for coming out on the short end of an incident that wrecked Edwards at Phoenix three weeks ago.
Busch’s memory is...
Kyle Busch dominates Bristol – again The situation was ripe for fireworks.
There was nothing more than a little spark between Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards on Sunday as Busch continued his recent domination at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Earnhardt Jr. sees progress Dale Earnhardt Jr. likes the way his team is progressing under new crew chief Steve Letarte.
He gives the positive review with a great helping of realism after three races since car owner Rick Hend...
Kyle Busch seeks more Bristol dominance Given the fickle nature of racing, Kyle Busch isn’t an automatic to reach victory lane at Bristol Motor Speedway this Saturday and Sunday.
He certainly appears to be, considering he has won three o...
Caraway cranks it up this weekend Having eliminated one shortcoming on his racing resume last season, Burt Myers starts this season with his sights on correcting another.
Myers filled a major void by capturing his first NASCAR Sout...
'Bayne' man at Daytona Unknown rookies don’t usually win the Daytona 500.
In an outcome befitting a wild race that produced event records for caution periods (16) and lead changes (20), Trevor Bayne proved he is more th...
Labonte finishes fourth, ponders what might have been Bobby Labonte got off to a strong start with JTG Daugherty Racing, finishing fourth on Sunday for his second top-five finish since 2006.
He was happy but still disappointed because he had a shot to...
Daytona 500 drivers hope to feel the draft By accident four years ago, Bobby Labonte discovered some of the phenomena that became norm leading up to today’s Daytona 500 this Speedweeks.
Labonte made the discovery in a 2007 Nationwide race a...
Bowyer takes Nationwide pole; Patrick qualifies fourth Clint Bowyer made the biggest splash as Danica Patrick finally created more than a ripple in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series on Friday.
Bowyer streaked to the pole for today’s 300-mile season-opener for...
Burton ends Cup slump, captures second Twin 150 qualifier Jeff Burton got rid Thursday of some of the frustrations that built up last year.
He did it by winning the second of two Daytona 500 qualifying races, scoring his first victory of any kind in a Cu...
Kurt Busch stays hot at Daytona, takes first Twin 150 qualifier No one has been able to complete the Daytona International Speedway trifecta of winning the Shootout, a Daytona 500 qualifying race and the 500 itself.
Kurt Busch is two-thirds of the way there aft...
Earnhardt Jr. crashes primary Daytona car Any possibility of a perfect storybook week for Dale Earnhardt Jr. surrounding the 10th anniversary of his father’s death went out the window on Wednesday.
Earnhardt crashed in practice for today’s...
Harvick fills big shoes his way Brash and independent, Kevin Harvick wanted to go Frank Sinatra when he moved into the Cup ranks.
He wanted to do it his way.
If original plans had played out, he would have been able to do that wi...
Earnhardt's death still hits home Editor's note: This is part one of a five-part series examining the life and legacy of Dale Earnhardt, who died 10 years ago in a crash at Daytona.
Another exhaustive NASCAR season takes the green The exhaust from the drivers started spewing during media day at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday. The exhaust from the cars starts spewing today at Daytona International Speedway, just a...
Petty's competitive drive remains strong Richard Petty couldn’t walk away.
When the racing team bearing his name ran into financial trouble to the point that it had to scramble to make each of the last five races last season, Petty chose ...
NASCAR revises points system Winning won’t be more important in the awarding of points in all three NASCAR national series series, but it could be critical in determining as many as two spots in the Cup division’s Chase for th...
Childress aims high for 2011 Richard Childress talked boldly on Tuesday as the annual Charlotte Motor Speedway media tour made its stop at RCR’s meeting hall in Welcome.
Coming off a 2010 season in which he nearly won the Cup ...
Waltrip recalls triumph, tragedy at 2001 Daytona 500 Michael Waltrip isn’t shying away from the 10th anniversary of what he describes as experiencing one of the highest and lowest moments of his life when he won the 2001 Daytona 500 as his car owner ...
Blaney sticks with Baldwin for 2011 Dave Blaney is sticking with his old crew chief.
Blaney, who ended the season splitting time between Front Row Motorsports and Tommy Baldwin’s team, will drive in the Cup Series for Baldwin – who w...